Parental Conflict
by blossom2013
Summary: Old disagreements between Luigi's mother and Alex threaten Sofia's & Luigi family life .


**Parental Conflict**

Luigi had just returned from visiting his half-sister, Sofia.  
As he entered his home, his mother, Elizabeth, came to meet him.  
"How was your trip?" She asked.  
"It was okay." Luigi smiled. "Sofia's always fun."  
"Maybe I should come with you next time." Elizabeth suggested.  
"Oh, you don't have to do that." Luigi shrugged.  
"Oh, but I insist." Elizabeth smiled. "Your family is my family, after all."  
"Okay, mom." Luigi groaned, knowing he couldn't convince her otherwise.  
The next morning, Sofia was visiting her father, Alex.  
"Dad, what's Luigi's mom like?" She asked.  
"She's a very nice lady." Alex smiled. "A good cook, too."  
"So why did you break up?" Madeline asked.  
"We had... differences." Alex explained. "Big differences. In the end, we felt it was best to go our separate ways."  
"Oh, I see." Sofia mused. "Well, I have to go home now."  
"I'll walk you to the carriage." Alex offered.  
Sofia and Alex walked outside, and to the carriage.  
"Come back soon, darling." Alex smiled.  
"You bet." Sofia hugged him.  
After Sofia returned to the castle, she was approached by Baileywick.  
"Princess Sofia, a letter arrived for you." He handed her the correspondance.  
Sofia read the contents.  
_'Dear Sofia,_  
_The next time I'll be visiting you, I'll be bringing my mother, Elizabeth, along. We'll be coming by this Sunday._  
_Love from your brother, Luigi.'_  
Sofia quickly told her parents.  
"Luigi will be coming this Sunday." She smiled. "And he's bringing his mom, Elizabeth."  
"Okay, then." Miranda smiled. "Let's all be as welcoming as possible."

"You must be Miranda." Elizabeth noted.  
"Nice to meet you." Miranda smiled.  
"Charmed, I'm sure." Elizabeth smiled. "You've certainly done well for yourself. Once a village girl, now a queen."  
"Elizabeth, would you like some tea?" Miranda asked. "Maybe we can get to know one another?"  
"With pleasure." Elizabeth smiled. "I'm sure we have much to talk about. Alex, for instance..."  
Alex groaned. The last thing he wanted for his two exes to get talking.  
After they had their tea, Alex cornered Miranda.  
"So, what do you think?" He asked.  
"She's nice." Miranda asked. "I can't imagine how you two would have broken up."  
"Life's funny like that." Alex sighed. "Sometimes, I wondered what would have happened if things went the other way. Like with us, and what might have happened if Mario hadn't... you know."  
"Things certainly would have been different." Miranda agreed. "We would stayed together in the village, I would never have married Roland, Sofia wouldn't have become a princess, and she would have a little brother."  
"Yeah." Alex sighed. "Like I said, life's funny that way."  
"It sure is." Miranda nodded.

Back in the study, Elizabeth was having tea with Amber.  
"More tea, Amber dear?" Elizabeth offered.  
"No thank you." Amber shook her head. "I'm not thirsty anymore."  
"Would you like us to show you to your room?" James asked.  
"If you insist." Elizabeth smiled. "No offense, but you two are nothing like I expected royal children to be. You're so helpful and down-to-earth."  
"Thanks." James smiled.  
"What can I say?" Amber said smugly. "Even among royalty, I'm unique."  
"That you are." Elizabeth chuckled.  
As they left the room, Elizabeth ran into Alex.  
"Ah, Alex." She sniffed. "Still wandering aimlessly, I see."  
"And you're still judging people, aren't you?" Alex shot back.  
Amber and James stepped back, uneasy at the newfound hostilities.  
"If you'll excuse, I have a room to get to to." Elizabeth declared, walking away from the fuming Alex.

Amber and James shared a worried look before joining Elizabeth.  
Alex walked away, fuming. A big part of the reason he and Elizabeth broke up was their ongoing arguments. Even the smallest thing could set them off, and neither one would give in to the other. Sometimes, the shouting matches would last half the night. They decided to break up when they realised what it was doing to little Luigi. Alex had almost forgotten how angry he'd get... until now.  
"I only came here to see Sofia..." He groaned. "This, I didn't need."  
Meanwhile, Amber and James had brought Elizabeth to her room.  
"Thank you both so much." She smiled, acting like nothing had happened.  
"Our pleasure." Amber said awkwardly.  
"We have to go now." James declared. "Royal... stuff."  
"Okay, you two run along." Elizabeth beamed.  
When dinner time came around, Alex and Elizabeth once again crossed paths.  
"Hello again." Elizabeth sniffed.  
"What rotten luck, huh?" Alex sneered.  
"You know, if I'd known you were coming, I would have put off my visit." Elizabeth confessed.  
"I think we'd've both prepared that." Alex snorted.  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth demanded.  
"It means you're still the tempermental srew you always were!" Alex yelled.  
"And you're still the same hard-headed fool!" Elizabeth shot back.  
"Annoying hag!" Alex growled.  
"Oh, that's it!" Elizabeth snarled. "I don't want Luigi associating with you, or your daughter, anymore!"  
"Fine!" Alex barked.  
"Fine!" Elizabeth shot back.  
"Fine!" Alex added.

"Luigi, it's time to go!" Elizabeth declared.  
"But mom, we just got here." Luigi protested  
"I said now, please!" Elizabeth yelled.  
"Luigi?" Sofia asked.  
"Come here, little sis." Luigi offered.  
Sofia almost got to Luigi before Elizabeth got in the way.  
"Luigi, you are to have no more contact with her, or anyone on his side of the family." She said, glaring at Alex. "Now go upstairs and pack your things. I'll be waiting outside."  
"Now Elizabeth, I'm sure-" Miranda started.  
"It was nice meeting you, Miranda." Elizabeth said brusquely as she went outside.  
As Luigi was packing his things, there was a knock on the door. Luigi opened it to reveal Sofia.  
"Sofia!" He hugged his little sister.  
"Luigi, we can't let this happen." Sofia declared. "We have to do something!"  
"Got that right." Luigi nodded. "I'll talk to my mom. You work your charm on your dad."  
After Elizabeth and Luigi left, Sofia went to talk with Alex.  
"Dad, can't you do something?" Sofia asked.  
"It's not me who has to do something." Alex snorted. "It's Elizabeth. She needs to stop being such a stubborn, self-centred fool."  
"But dad..." Sofia offered.  
"And besides, I'm not talking to her untilshe apologises." Alex folded. "I'll be going now, Sofia. See you soon."  
Sofia sighed in defeat.  
The next day, while she was in the village, someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was Luigi.  
"What are you doing here?" Sofia asked.  
"I'm running an errand for mom." Luigi explained. "I saw you here, figured it was a good chance to talk. What did your dad say?"  
"He won't talk to your mom until she apologises." Sofia declared.  
"Same here." Luigi sighed. "If only we could get them in the same room together. Maybe then they could see sense."  
"That's it, Luigi!" Sofia smiled.  
"It is?" Luigi asked.  
"We get our parents into the same room, and don't let them leave until they talk things out." Sofia explained.  
"That might work." Luigi mused.  
"We'll each lure our parents to the castle." Sofia smiled. "That's a good place to do it. They won't expect each other there."  
"Okay, I'll talk to my mom, and you get your dad." Luigi nodded. "We have them come to the castle tomorrow, at noon."  
"Will do." Sofia smiled.  
Sofia rushed over to Alex's store.  
"Dad, do you think you could come to the castle tomorrow at noon?" Sofia asked.  
"Sure, honey." Alex nodded. "But why noon?"  
"Oh, no reason." Sofia chuckled.

The next morning, Luigi made his move.  
"Mom, I forgot something at the castle." He lied. "I need to pick it up at noon."  
"Why noon, sweetheart?" Elizabeth asked.  
"No reason, mom." Luigi shrugged. "I just need it back, please."  
"Okay." Elizabeth nodded.  
Alex arrived at the castle just before noon.  
"Okay, I'm here." He told Sofia. "Why did you want to see me, sweetheart?"  
"Dad, come with me." Sofia requested. "I need to talk to you alone."  
Sofia lead Alex up a room, where Luigi had already led Elizabeth.  
"What are you doing here, Elizabeth?" Alex frowned.  
"I was just leaving?" Elizabeth sniffed.  
"No, I will." Alex insisted.  
"You two aren't going anywhere until you talk this whole thing out." Luigi declared.  
"There's nothing to talk about." Alex growled. "Now, I need to get back to my store."  
"Sorry daddy, I can't let you do that." Sofia declared as she and Luigi stepped outisde, locking the door behind them. "No-one is going to leave this room until you two come to an understanding."  
"Sorry, mom." Luigi added. "It's for your own good."  
"You rotten..." Elizabeth fumed. "Where did I go wrong?" She turned to Alex. "This is your fault, you know!"  
"My fault?" Alex repeated.  
"They got this rebellious streak from you!" Elizabeth roared.  
"Well, we know where they got the stubbournness!" Alex shot back.

"Shall we have some tea while we're waiting, Luigi?" Sofia asked, twirling the key on her finger.  
"I'd love to, sis." Luigi smiled.  
Roland and Miranda were out at the moment, and James and Sofia were visiting there friends. Baileywick was there, but he had been informed of the plan, and stepped aside.  
"Those kids are going to be sorry!" Elizabeth seethed.  
"They were only trying to help." Alex sighed. "They're good kids. Both of them. Guess we must've done something right with them."  
"I suppose." Elizabeth agreed.  
"It can't have been easy for you, raising a kid all alone..." Alex realised.  
"I managed." Elizabeth shrugged.  
"Too bed I couldn't manage with Sofia." Alex admitted. "I've only just come back into her life, after all, which is more then I can say for Luigi..."  
"He turned out okay, though." Elizabeth smiled. "He inherited your determination, as did Sofia."  
"And he's got your smarts." Alex chuckled. "Some plan they cooked up, huh?"  
"Indeed it was." Elizabeth agreed.

"Would it really be so bad for our kids to get to be around each other?" Alex asked.  
"I suppose not." Elizabeth nodded.  
At 2 o'clock, Sofia and Luigi came to investigate.  
"it's too quiet in there." Sofia fretted.  
"We'd better check on them." Luigi agreed  
Sofia got the key from her pocket and unlocked the door.  
"Dad?" She called.  
"Mom?" Luigi added.  
They saw their parents sitting together on the bed.  
"Well, it looks like you've settled things." Luigi noted.  
"Indeed we have." Elizabeth smiled.  
"No more fighting?" Luigi asked hopefully.  
"No son, we're done with it." Elizabeth smiled. "You deserve to be able to see your family, Luigi. And you can see them whenever you like."  
"Thanks, mom." Luigi hugged her.  
"Sorry we locked you in." Sofia apologised.  
"That's okay." Alex smiled. "If it weren't for you, we would have gone on hating each other."  
"I've got an idea." Luigi smiled. "How about a family picnic, this Sunday?"  
"Sounds good to me." Alex chuckled.  
"Me too." Elizabeth agreed.  
It was all Sofia could do to stop herself from jumping up and down. Everything was right again. Her family was whole once more.

**The End.**


End file.
